A Kitchen By The Lake

Before

This was a large beautiful home on a lake, surrounded by trees. While the layout was everything the clients wanted, the style was not what one would expect in a lake house. These clients wanted “clean and crisp”, so there was work that needed to be done.

This kitchen was beyond massive, with plenty of room for cooking, eating and relaxing. But the islands were awkwardly placed, and the pantry was a tiny room off in a corner – not convenient at all when ingredients are needed. The islands appeared to be able to seat many people at it, but the island encroached on the casual seating area (the hearth room), so it was impossible to place any barstools there. The room was dark, the kitchen triangle wasn’t a triangle at all, and the wine bar had a harsh look, with oversized styling, painted black. The floors were an unstained maple, the cabinets were a medium cherry, and the support post had to stay where it was.

After

The first thing that needed to be tackled in this kitchen was the layout. The pantry was in a corner behind the wall ovens (just off the foyer), so the first order was to open that up. Using that space for the cook-top and double ovens allowed us to better utilize that portion of the kitchen. The pantry was placed where a built-in desk used to be, just to the left of the cooking area. In keeping with the lakehouse look, some shiplap was placed above the mantel and along the front of the large island. The smaller island was painted a striking blue, and several types of cabinet hardware was used throughout this large kitchen. The pendants over the main island are slightly oversized, but because the glass is clear, they don’t overpower the space. For a space this large, substantial lighting was needed. All millwork was painted white, and the floors were stained a dark Jacobean with a little black mixed in.